Wheelchairs and other personal mobility vehicles help people having reduced mobility to lead a more active lifestyle. Many conventional wheelchairs allow the incorporated chair assembly to be tilted. However, when the chair assembly is tilted, it is often necessary to keep the weight distribution within desired limits to prevent the wheelchair from tipping over.
When the chair assembly is moved from an upright to a tilted position, it is desirable to keep the horizontal center of gravity of the chair assembly with respect to the wheelchair frame as constant as possible. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,776 provides a wheelchair having a tilt assembly that adjusts the center of gravity of the chair assembly when the chair assembly is tilted.
Wheelchairs having a tilt assembly that adjusts the center of gravity of the chair assembly when the chair assembly is tilted are often synonymous with complex design, as additional components often are necessary to slide the chair assembly forward when it is moved to a tilted position. Also, the complexity of conventional tilt assemblies may require a relatively high seat-to-floor height, a relatively large motor to actuate the tilt assembly, and a center of gravity adjustment of the seat assembly that only partially compensates for the changed weight distribution of the wheelchair when the seat assembly is tilted. It would be desirable to have an improved apparatus for tilting a wheelchair seat.